Natural gas furnaces need enough space and airflow to work properly.

Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it hard for our professionals to complete furnace repair.

Regular furnace maintenance is important to keep your system working trouble-free. A routinely serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could reduce your heating costs.

Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?

Maintenance often helps us discover problems before they become expensive. This could help reduce future repair expenses and likely lengthen the life of your furnace.

So how much area should your system really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re remodeling your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer directions and Marshfield ordinances for clearance requirements.

As a general recommendation, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service technicians to easily repair it.

You also need to make sure the room has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This model of furnace pulls combustion air from the surrounding location. If there’s inadequate air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.

If your furnace is located in a small room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in supplemental openings. This could include a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to assess airflow and ventilation as much if you have a newer, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your furnace uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to add air.

Keep Hazardous Items Separate from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms are often also used for laundry and storage space, you should keep yours free of clutter that could be fire hazards.

This includes:

  • Clotheslines
  • Cleaning or laundry products
  • Gasoline, paint or paint thinner
  • Rags and papers
  • Wood scraps and sawdust
  • Used filters

If you have a cat, situate your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the smelly odors all over your home.

You should also routinely clean by your furnace to block dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Marshfield, House of Heating Incorporated can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 715-384-3163 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment today.